WHO CARES? Let’s show support and never take gift of gigs for granted

I’ve written before about how much music means to me and why rediscovering all my favourite artists and tracks while also adding new music to my favourites on Spotify has been a great experience that energises my walks and exercise sessions.

A great part of getting back into music has been going to as many live performance gigs as I can whenever and wherever I can. From Eden Court to the Adelphi in London, I will turn up and cheer, clap, sing and dance with the best of them. Post the pandemic, what a joy it is to get out to appreciate the artistry of the musicians and the experience of sharing a good night with other like-minded people. I guess we all didn’t know what we had until we lost it, and getting it back again is a very special gift to be cherished.

Eden Court has become so much a part of the landscape on the riverbank in Inverness that I forget what the theatre and cinema scene was like before it opened. The building now housing the library in Farraline Park used to be known as The Little Theatre until 1980, and I even performed there as a child dancer. We also had the La Scala on a corner of Academy Street which closed in 2001 now flats, and the Playhouse which the Filling Station now occupies on the edge of Falcon Square which was destroyed by a fire in 1972.

So, the arrival of Eden Court in 1976 was a big deal. Thriving, albeit with reduced hours in the post-pandemic landscape, I am amazed at the breadth of high-quality performers in all genres that are finding a place to share their talent in our corner of the UK. They must be behind the scenes working their socks off to book, promote and support their programme and I am truly grateful for their providing some wonderful nights of escapism and joy for folk like me.

There are other venues that come at you out of left field and can be incredibly surprising. One such is Invergordon Town Hall. I kid you not, last Saturday I was at a gig there by The Animals and Friends which was as good as any band gig anywhere. We were few in number which I would put down to somewhat slender marketing – I only found out ten days before in this very paper – but we were loud in our appreciation of the skill of musicians who played and sung exceptionally well in the surprisingly well-appointed room with banked, plush, comfy cinema-style seating and art deco style touches.

For anyone who doesn’t recognise the band name, they are a quartet with John Steel as drummer who is from the original Animals – you know them from ‘House of the Rising Sun’, ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ and ‘We Gotta Get Out of This Place’ as your starter for ten.

How fantastic that Invergordon is trying to save their Town Hall by exploring turning it into a performance venue. I will try to support this whenever I find out that something is on, and my friend who lives in the village was delighted to be able to walk home afterwards rather than having to travel back from Inverness.

I am going to petition Hector, the editor

here, to make sure that all future gigs are highlighted so we can all do our bit to support the

venture and keep the Town Hall central to village life.

Karen Anderson is Mum to an autistic son in his twenties and campaigns for the rights of unpaid carers to be supported in their caring role and involved in the decisions that affect their lives and the lives of the people they care for. You can find her on twitter and Instagram @Karen4Carers.

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